J56 ~^" ^ 

'V ^ \(jldwin'' s Biographical Booklets 



■fifM'^.-'- 



THE STORY OF 

David Crockett 

FUR YOUNG READERS 



t 



BV 



V\ CER '^^HOOL BOOK COMP^'^'Y 

CHIC.A. VEW YORK BOSTON 



BALDWIN'S BIOGRAPHICAL BOOKLETS 



THE STORY 



OF 



DAVID CROCKETT 



FOR YOUNG READERS 



By FRANCES M. PERRY 




WERNER SCHOOL BOOK COMPANY 

NEW YORK CHICAGO BOSTON 



63345 

— ' * - : 11: . 

BALDWIN'S 
BIOGRAPHICAL STORIES 

■ .■ f ■ ■' ■ h^"'' 
FOR YOUNG AMERICAN READERS 

EDITED BY 

JAMES BALDWIN, Ph.D. 



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other volumes in preparation 



Copyright, 1900, m WERNER SCHOOL BOOK COMPANY 



El)e ILaftfsftic ^prcss 

R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY 
CHICAGO 



TWO COPIES RECEIVKD, 

Lfbrsry of Coiigr9f% 
Offleo of tbS 

,o MAY 2 5 1900 

III 

Rcgliter of Copyriglfib 

r/H-^ ^ CONTENTS. 

^9^^^ SECOMi_COPY. 

CHAPTEB PAGE 

I. A Neglected Child : .... 5 

II. A Homesick Bf)Y ..... 8 

III. A Runaway . . ..... 12 

IV. A Hired Hand , . . , , 15 
V. A Householder » ..... 20 

VI. A Soldier ....... 24 

VII. A Leading Citizen . . . . .28 

VIII. A Bear Hunter ..... 35 

IX. A Congressman ...... 42 



X. A Traveler 
XI. A Daring Adveniurer 



45 
49 



XII. A Hero of the Alamo . , , . 58 




DAVID CROCKETT. 



DAVID CROCKETT 

THE HERO OF TENNESSEE 



I. — A Neglected Child. 

A little ragged boy with frowzy hair and dirty face 
stood on the bank of a river screaming with rage. He 
was angry with his older brothers, who were paddling 
about in a canoe. They did not heed his screams, and 
would soon be carried out of hearing by the swiftly 
flowing water. 

His little heart was full of anger because they had not 
taken him with them. But since there is no use in 
crying when there is no one to hear, the child presently 
began to sob more quietly. 

In a little while he saw a workman running toward 
the stream, and his screams grew louder. But to his 
surprise the man ran past him, plunged into the water, 
swam to the canoe, and with great efforts dragged it 
ashore. 

The little boy did not imderstand that if the man had 
been a few minutes later his brothers would have been 
swept over the falls and dashed to death on the rocks 

5 



6 DAVID CROCKETT. 

below. But he did know that they were badly fright- 
ened, and he thought they deserved it. 

No one told him that it was wrong to lose his temper, 
or that he should be very thankful to have his brothers 
still alive. For no one cared very much what little 
David Crockett thought or how he felt. 

He was left to take care of himself. No one coaxed 
him through tlie mysteries of the alphabet, no one sang 
him to sleep, or taught him to lisp a prayer. 

His hard-working father and mother did not wish to 
be troubled with children's quarrels. Each one was 
allowed to fight his own battles. As David had several 
brothers older than himself, he learned early to stand up 
for his rights with voice and fist. 

He usually had his own way with the boys ; for when 
he did not, he made a great trouble about it, and they 
found it easier to give up to the headstrong youngster 
than to oppose him. 

His mother scolded him when he bothered her. His 
father whipped him if he did not mind. The only com- 
mandments the boy knew, were: "Mind your father," 
and, " Don't bother your mother." 

David Crockett's first home was a poor little floorless 
log hut near the present village of Limestone in East 
Tennessee. There he was born on the 17th of August, 
1786, and there he was living at the time of the incident 
of which I have told you. 

The cabin was a comfortless place, with nothing in it 



A NEGLECTED CHILD. 7 

to make life cheerful and happy. But David had never 
known anything better^ and so he enjoyed himself, in his 
own way, as well as though he were living in a palace. 

His father was a restless man, never satisfied to 
remain long in one place ; and in a short time the old 
home was abandoned, and the family moved to another 
about fifty miles farther west. 

Thus the Crocketts went about from one part of Ten- 




MAP OF TENNESSKE, SHOWING Ply ACES WHERE CROCKETT LIVED. 



nessee to another, seldom staying in any one locality 
longer than two or three years. Wherever they went 
the wild, wooded country was beautiful. But the 
shanties in which they lived were always dark and 
dismal. David spent most of the time out of doors and 
grew to be a rugged and active boy. 

He had a strong will and generally succeeded in 
doing whatever seemed worth while. He thought it 
worth while to make his play fellows do as he wished. 
They looked upon him as their leader and liked him. 



8 DAVID CROCKETT. 

On the other hand he had learned that it was not 
worth while to displease his father. He therefore did 
his best at any work that his father told him to do. 
Mr. Crockett thought David a handy boy and found 
plenty of small jobs to keep him busy. 



II. — A Homesick Boy. 

When David Crockett was twelve years old his father 
kept an inn on a forest road where teamsters stopped for 
food and rest. 

One evening David came in whistling. He knew by 
the wagons outside that there were guests at the house, 
and he was sure of a good supper. He noticed that 
everybody stopped talking and looked at him as he 
entered. He glanced at his mother, who was working 
over the fire with tearful eyes. Then he saw that his 
father was dropping silver pieces into his drawer with a 
look of satisfaction. 

He listened with a fast beating heart while his father 
explained that a driver had hired him to help drive his 
cattle to market and told him to be ready in the morn- 
ing to start to Virginia with his new master. A great 
lump rose in his throat and he found it hard to talk. 
His mother piled his plate with good things, but he 
could not eat. The thought of going so far from home 
among strangers gave him a queer, lonely feeling. 

On that other day, long before, when his brothers had 



A HOMESICK BOY. 



left him alone on the shore, he was angry and wished to 
punish them. But now he had no idea of objecting to 
his father's order and he knew better than to make a 
scene. He struggled manfully with his feelings and 
kept back the tears. 

That was in 1798, and there were then few roads or 
bridges between East Tennessee and Virginia. A four 
hundred mile tramp over mountainous land was a hard- 
ship for even so strong a boy as David Crockett. 

Our little hero often got cold and tired and hungry. 
He was glad when night came. Then after a hearty 
supper of wild turkey or venison he would throw him- 
self upon a bed of dry leaves and sleep, and dream of 
home. 

The journey ended a few miles from the Natural 
Bridge in Virginia. David's master was pleased with 
the work he had done and was kind to him. In addi- 
tion to what he had paid Mr. Crockett he gave the boy 
six dollars. No plan had been made for David's return. 
His employer wanted him to stay with him, and offered 
to do well by him. But David was so homesick that no 
place seemed good to him without his father and mother 
and sisters and brothers. 

One day when he was alone he saw some teamsters 
traveling west. He knew them, for they had once or 
twice stopped at his father's inn. He begged them to 
take him home. They were afraid they would get into 
trouble if they did so without asking his employer; but 



lO 



DAVID CROCKETT. 



they felt sorry for him and promised to let him go with 
them if he would j6in them at daybreak the next morn- 
ing at a tavern seven miles up the road. 

That night David tied his clothes into a little bundle 
and went to bed, but not to sleep. He was so happy 
thinking of going home, and so fearful lest he might 




DAVID'S ARRIVAL AT THE TAVERN. 

oversleep, that he could not close 

his eyes. In the middle of the 

nio^ht he got up and left the house while every one was 

fast asleep. 

When he opened the door large snowflakes blew 
against his cheeks. It was dark, but he could see that 
the ground had a heavy coating of white and the snow 
was falling fast. This would make his tramp harder. 
But he had no idea of giving up. 



A HOMESICK BOY. II 

Blinded by the snow and the darkness, he stumbled 
along toward the highway. He was afraid lest some 
one should find out that he had left and follow him. 
When he reached the road he felt safe, for he thought 
they would not follow far in the dark, and in the morn- 
ing his tracks would be filled with snow so that they 
would not know which way he had gone. 

With a lighter heart he trudged along in the night 
and the storm, and reached the tavern a little before 
daylight. The men were already up and harnessing 
the horses. They were surprised to see the lad wading 
through snow almost up to his knees. They warmed 
and fed him, and then the party started in the gray 
dawn. 

David made himself so helpful that he won the good 
will of the men, and they wished to keep him in their 
company all the way. But the heavy wagons moved 
too slowly for the impatient boy. When within two 
hundred miles of home he left his friends and set out on 
foot alone through the wilderness. 

Just before he reached a large river he was overtaken 
by a man riding in his direction. This man was lead- 
ing a horse and kindly invited the small adventurer 
to mount it. David continued in the care of this 
good-hearted man until within twenty miles of home. 
There their ways separated and David hurried to his 
father's house as fast as his nimble feet could carry 
him. 



12 DAVID CROCKETT. 

In this adventure the boy showed the energy and 
determination that in later life won for him the title of 
"Go-ahead-Crockett." 



III. — A Runaway. 

David stayed at home that summer and helped his 
father. In the following autumn a school was opened 
in the neighborhood. The settlers were glad to give 
their children a chance to learn to read and write. The 
young people, large and small, gathered in the log 
schoolhouse, where the new schoolmaster set them to 
work to learn their letters. David was one of the 
pupils. 

The first day he watched, in wide-eyed wonder, every- 
thing that was done. Then he grew tired of school and 
thought it very stupid to sit still all day and study. 
Most of the people whom he knew were unable to read 
and write, and he did not see why he need know more 
than they did. It seemed to him much more manly to 
be at work. However, he persevered for four days, and 
was beginning to make some headway with the alpha- 
bet, when his school education was brought to a sudden 
check. 

He had a quarrel with one of the school boys. The 
two boys had a fight on the way home from school. 
Although the other was the older and the larger boy, 
David proved to be the stronger. He bruised and 



A RUNAWAY. 1 3 

scratched his foe unmercifully, and the next day he was 
afraid to go back to school, lest the teacher should find 
out about it and punish him. 

For several days he left home in the morning with 
his brothers, but went to the woods instead of to school. 
Most of the boys liked him too well to tell his father, 
and the others were afraid of displeasing him. Finally 
the schoolmaster wrote a note to Mr. Crockett to ask 
why David did not come to school. 

When the severe father learned that David had 
played truant for fear of a whipping, he said he would 
give him a harder thrashing than any he had ever 
dreamed of if he did not go back to school. As David 
refused to obey, he cut a heavy hickory stick and 
started after him in a rage. 

The boy outran his half-drunken father, and hid till 
the latter gave up the chase. He felt well satisfied 
with his escape; but when he began to be hungry he was 
afraid to go home. He remembered how easily he had 
made friends among strangers, and decided to run 
away. 

He went to the house of a man who he knew was 
about to take a drove of cattle to Virginia. As David 
had had experience in this kind of work, the man very 
willingly hired him to go with him. When the work 
was done, instead of returning to Tennessee, the boy 
found other employment. 

He went as far east as Baltimore and engaged to work 



14 DAVID CROCKETT. 

on a ship bound for lyondon. The wagoner, whom he 
was with at the time, was a sensible man and would not 
let him go to sea. This seemed to David great cruelty, 
for he did not know what a miserable, friendless little 
drudge he would have been on the ship. 

Compelled to stay on land, he wandered from place to 
place working on farms, driving cattle, and tending 
horses. It was never hard for him to make friends or 
get work. He was a cheerful, jolly boy; every one liked 
him, and he was so lively and industrious that his work 
always gave satisfaction. But, work as he would, he 
could not make more than enough to feed and clothe 
himself. And new friends and new scenes could not 
make the faithful boy forget old ones. 

He often thought of home, but his father, with a 
hickory stick, was the most prominent figure in the 
home picture, and he could not make up his mind to go 
back. If his father had been angry with him for run- 
ning away from school, how much more angry would 
he be with him for running away from home! He was 
fifteen years old before his longing to see home and 
friends overcame his dread of punishment. 

When at last he came in sight of the familiar little 
inn after his long absence, he saw wagons before the 
door. He knew strangers were there and the idea 
occurred to him to ask for a night's lodging as if he 
were a passing traveler. He was curious to see if any 
one would recognize him. 



A HIRED HAND. 1 5 

When he went in, the men were lounging before the 
fire, and the women were getting supper. He sat in 
the shadow of the chimney corner and took no part in 
the conversation. 

When they went to the supper-table the women 
gave their attention to their guests, and David could not 
escape the sharp eyes of his eldest sister. She looked 
at him keenly for a moment, then jumped up and 
rushed at him, crying: *'Here is my long lost brother." 

There was great rejoicing over the returned runaway. 
When he found how glad all were to see him again, and 
when he realized how great grief his mother and sisters 
had suffered, he felt humbled and ashamed. He saw 
that it would have been more manly to stay home and 
take his punishment than to make others suffer so much; 
and he wished that he had done so. 

It is needless to say that in his joy at the homecom- 
ing of his big boy, the father forgot the threatened 
whipping. 



IV. — A Hired Hand. 

The law of Tennessee required a man to give his son 
a home and support until he was eighteen years old. 
In return for that the son's time, labor, and money were 
under the control of his father. 

David Crockett had shown that he could take care of 
himself. He had unlearned the lesson of childhood, 



I 6 DAVID CROCKETT. 

"Mind your father"; and Mr. Crockett saw that it 
would be hard to keep him at home unless he chose to 
stay. So he promised to give him his liberty if he 
would work out a debt of thirty-six dollars which he 
owed to one of the neighbors. 

David was ready to do that. He went at once to the 
man and agreed to work for six months in payment of 
his father's debt. He worked faithfully, never missing 
a day for half a year. At the end of that time he was 
his own master. His father had no more right to his 
time or labor. 

The youth had no money, but he was capable of 
making his own way. The man for whom he had 
been working wished to keep him. But he refused 
to work longer for him, because the men who met at 
his place were men of bad habits and character, and he 
did not wish to become like them. 

He went to an old Quaker farmer and asked for 
employment. The Quaker allowed him to work on 
trial for a week. Then, being satisfied with his services, 
he told the boy that if he would work for him six 
months he would cancel a debt of forty dollars that Mr. 
Crockett owed him. 

David thought it over. He was not responsible for 
his father's debts. He had done his duty; and his 
father expected nothing more of him. Surely he owed 
nothing to the man who had hired him out when he 
was twelve years old to work among strangers, and who 



A HIRED HAND. 1/ 

in drunken fury had driven him from home. But he* 
was a generous boy, and the thought of giving his old 
father a pleasant surprise pleased him so much that he 
accepted the Quaker's offer. 

■ . For another six months he worked hard and faith- 
fully without even visiting his home, though he was 
only fifteen miles away from it. At the end of that 
time the Quaker gave him his father's note for the forty 
dollars. Then he felt proud as a king. 

One Sunday afternoon he brushed his hair and his old 
clothes, borrowed a horse, and rode over to his home. 
The family gave him a warm welcome. He was now 
the family pet. He had traveled so much and had so 
many interesting experiences to relate that even his 
father listened with respect to his conversation. Then, 
too, he was his own master, making his own living; and 
that made them all feel proud of him. 

As they sat chattering about various things he took 
out the note and handed it to his father. The old man 
looked at it with a troubled face. He thought David 
had been sent to collect the money. He shook his head 
sadly, and said he didn't have the money and could 
not see how he could get it. That was a proud and 
happy moment for David, but he tried to speak care- 
lessly: "You needn't bother about the money. The 
note's paid. I paid it myself and just brought it to you 
for a present. ' ' 

The hard old man knew that he had not been a very 



l8 DAVID CROCKETT. 

good father to David, and he was so moved by this 
undeserved kindness that he shed tears. When David 
saw his father so overcome by his generosity he felt 
repaid for his six months' labor. 

He had now worked a year for his father, and, as he 
had had no money in all that time, his clothes were 
nearly worn out and too small for him. So he bar- 
gained to work for the Quaker for a suit of clothes. 

While he was doing that, a niece of the Quaker came 
to the house on a visit. She was a pretty girl and David 
fell in love with her. When he told her so, and asked 
her to marry him, she said she had promised to marry 
her cousin. The poor boy thought he never could be 
happy again. He could not be gay and light hearted. 
He became dissatisfied with himself. He thought that 
if he had had some education the Quaker girl would 
have liked him better, and so he decided to go to school. 

He was seventeen years old, but had never attended 
school but four days in his life. He did not even know 
his letters. The Quaker was willing to give him his 
board and allow him four days a week for school if he 
would work for him the rest of the time. 

Poor David was a big fellow to start to school. But 
it was not unusual to find boys of his age in the A, B, C 
class at that time; for there were few schools, and many 
boys, like David, had had no chance to go to school 
when they were children. He tried hard and in time 
learned to write his name, to read from the primer, and 



A HIRED HAND. I9 

to work problems in addition, subtraction and multipli- 
cation. But he made slow progress and liked active life 
better than study. 

In the course of time he forgot his disappointment 
and began to enjoy life again. He was fond of fun and 
enjoyed dances, harvest frolics, and such rude backwoods 
amusements. He liked to hunt and was considered one 
of the best shots in the neighborhood. It was much 
easier for him to hit the center spot of a target than to 
get the correct answer to a problem in subtraction. 

One of his keenest pleasures was a shooting match. 
The good Quaker with whom he lived did not approve 
of this pastime, but David and the young men of his 
time thought there was no better sport. 

When a farmer wished to raise a little money he would 
put up one of his fine cattle to be shot for. Tickets 
were sold for twenty-five cents each, and one man could 
buy as many as he wished. Bach ticket entitled the 
owner to one shot. Boards with crosses in the center 
served for targets. Every young man who could get a 
gun came to try his luck in winning a portion of the 
beef. 

The one who shot nearest the center was given the 
hide and tallow; the^iext got his choice of the hind- 
quarters of the beef; the third got the other hindquarter; 
the fourth was given his choice of the forequarters; the 
fifth took the remaining forequarter; and the sixth got 
the lead in the tree against which they shot. 



20 DAVID CROCKETT. 

David was very successful. He sometimes bought 
several tickets and won not only the first but several 
other portions of the beef He could easily sell the 
meat for money. And you may be sure a youth who 
worked so hard and was paid so little was glad to hear 
silver clinking in his own pockets. 



V. — A Householder. 

In all the country there was no young man more 
popular than David Crockett. The old people liked 
him because he was honest, kindhearted, and industri- 
ous. The boys thought him the best company in the 
world, for no one could tell such a funny story, or 
invent such prime jokes. The girls admired him very 
much; for they liked to dance with the graceful youth 
who wore his tattered buckskin suit with the air of a 
prince. 

It is not surprising that after several disappointments 
he at last found a pretty little Irish girl about his own 
age, who loved him so much that she did not object to 
his poverty. His only possessions were the clothes on 
his back and an old horse he had bought with half a 
year's work. But he felt so rich in the love of the 
little maid that he did not think that the possession of 
houses and lands was at all necessary to happiness. 

After the wedding David took his bride to his 
father's house, where a large company had gathered to 



A HOUSEHOLDER. 



21 



welcome the young couple. They stayed there for a 
few days, and then returned to the bride's mother, who 
gave them a spinning wheel and two cows and calves 
for a wedding present. David rented a cabin and a few 
acres of ground near by and started farming. 

He had the horse and cows to begin with, but no fur- 
niture or tools. They could make chairs and tables and 
beds ; and as for a stove 

there was no need of -ife -^ 

that, for everybody 
cooked by the fireplace 
in those days. The 
Crocketts' cabin was 
better fitted up than 
that of most young ^ 
couples of that neigh- 
borhood. 

David's former em- 
ployer, the Quaker, gave him fifteen dollars. This 
seemed like great wealth to David and his young bride. 
They went to the store together and bought pans, 
dishes, tools, and such other things as they needed, but 
could not make; and they soon had a cozy home. 

The little housewife was a beautiful weaver and her 
fingers were never idle. David worked on the farm and 
sometimes went hunting, but he had a hard time to 
make enough to pay his rent. 

A good many families were moving further west, and 




\^:^Ml-' 



DAVID'S CABIN. 



22 DAVID CROCKETT. 

David Crockett thought it would be a sensible thing for 
him to move also. It would be pleasanter to support 
his family by hunting than by farming. Game was, of 
course, more plentiful in the more unsettled parts of the 
state. 

It was little harder for people who lived as he did to 
move from one home to another than it is for Indians or 
Arabs to change their dwelling places. The few house- 
hold articles worth moving could be packed on two or 
three horses. The wife and the small children were 
made comfortable on the back of some old nag. The 
rest of the family could walk. Wagons were sometimes 
used; and in some places where roads had been made 
through the wilderness, long trains of movers might be 
seen making their way slowly towards the unsettled west. 

In fair weather the travelers spent the night under 
the open sky by a camp-fire, with perhaps a watchman 
to keep off wolves and mountain wildcats. If it rained 
a rude shed was made of tree boughs. A tender wild 
turkey browned over the wood fire furnished the hungry 
wayfarers with a delicious repast. When a spot was 
found that seemed good for a home, it required but a 
lew days' work to clear a garden patch and make a 
"camp" or hut of logs. In this way David Crockett 
moved several times. 

Hunting was then as profitable an occupation as 
farming, especially for a poor man who did not have 
money enough to buy good farming implements and 



A HOUSEHOLDER. 



23 



stock. Young Crockett was a fine hunter, and, after 
moving to his new home, he spent most of the time in 
scouring the woods for choice game or in dressing skins. 
The fame of his woodcraft and marksmanship spread 
through all that part of the country. 

This seems to us a shiftless way to live, but it was the 
best way those poor backwoodsmen knew. We are glad 




A TRAIN OF' MOVERS GOING WEST. 

they could be happy and contented with so little. We 
shall find that they were intelligent and brave, as well. 
When Crockett was living in Franklin County, Ten- 
nessee, trouble broke out between the Creek Indians 
and the white people. The Indians suddenly attacked 
the settlement at Fort Minns, in southern Alabama, 
and murdered about four hundred people. Men, women, 
and children were killed without mercy. This happened 



24 



DAVID CROCKETT. 



far away from Crockett's home in Tennessee. He had 
no friends there to write to him about it. He had no 
daily paper and there was no telegraph then. But one 
man told another, and not many days passed before the 
lonely settlers on the remote frontier were talking over 
the terrible deed with fear and anger. 

David Crockett had always been opposed to war, but 
he was one of the first to volunteer to fight the Indians. 
When he told his wife that he was going to the war she 
urged him not to leave her and her two little children 
alone in the wilderness. It was hard for him to with- 
stand her tears and entreaties. But he told her that no 
pioneers, not even they themselves, would be safe unless 
the Indians were punished. He reminded her that there 
was a good supply of meat and corn, sufficient to last 
till his return; and he said that he would probably be 
back safe and sound in two months. 

He did his best to comfort her, but never wavered in 
his determination to do what seemed as much his duty 
as any other man's. He could talk well, and his wife, 
who was really a brave, sensible woman, was soon won 
over to think as he did. Bach went to work to provide 
for the other's comfort during the separation. 



VI. — A Soldier. 



The Tennessee boys proved to be the heroes of the 
war with the Creek Indians. In that war Crockett did 



A SOLDIER. 



25 



good service as a private soldier. He liked adventure, 
change of scene, and excitement, and the war offered 
these. Because of his skill with the rifle and knowledge 
of forest travel he was chosen as a member of a scouting 
party. 

This little band of men went before the army to see 
where the Indians were and what they were doing. 
The country was unknown to them, and they were in 
danger of falling into an ambush of Indians. It was 
hard to find the silent, swift-footed foe. But the scouts 
were helped by some of the Cherokee Indians who were 
friendly to the whites. 

When the scouts found a Creek village they sent word 
to the army. If the town was deserted when the 
soldiers reached it they plundered and burned it. But 
sometimes the soldiers came upon the towns before the 
inhabitants knew they were near. Then the troops 
surrounded the surprised savages. The Indians usually 
tried to break through the line of soldiers, and some- 
times did so. But generally the fire from the guns was 
so terrible that the- Indians were driven back. They 
then rushed frantically against another part of the wall 
of soldiers, only to meet the same deadly fire. 

At one time when so many of the savages had fallen 
in this way that there was no hope of escape, the women 
and children asked for mercy and were made prisoners. 
But the warriors were too proud for that. Nearly forty 
of them crowded into a log house hoping to fight from 



26 



DAVID CROCKETT. 




that shelter. But the soldiers set fire to it and burned 
them, or shot them as they ran from the flames. 

The white people were so infuriated against the 
Creeks that they treated them as if they were wild 

beasts. Detachments of soldiers 
were sent out to scour the country 
for Creeks and destroy them by fair 
means or foul. 

While our soldiers caused great 
suffering they had a very hard time 
themselves. At times the Indians 
surprised them. Once the famous 
General Jackson himself was almost 
defeated by them. But the enemy 
that gave the United States soldiers 
the most trouble was hunger. They were in thessouth 
far from any source of supplies. Before deserting a town 
the Indians destroyed their crops and provisions so that 
they would not fall into the hands of the white men. 
Therefore the soldiers got no food from the country 
through which they traveled. At times they had noth- 
ing to eat but acorns. Their horses became thin and 
feeble, and the men were nearly starved. 

David Crockett was not less cruel than others to the 
Creek Indians. But he did much to relieve the hard- 
ships of his fellow soldiers. He was always ready with 
a hearty laugh and a funny story to rouse their droop- 
ing spirits. By nature strong, patient, and generous, he 



INDIAN IN AMBUSH. 



A SOLDIER. 



27 



was able and willing to help those less fortunate than 
himself. 

Often he got permission to go hunting and risked his 
life alone in the forest. Men offered him large sums for 
the squirrels and wild fowls he brought back. But he 
refused their offers. He might have gained favor with 
his officers by giving them his game. Instead he gave 
all to some sick soldier or divided freely with his mess- 
mates. 

His popularity with the men, his good common sense 
and ability, might have secured him promotion to the 
rank of an officer, had it not been for the independent 
way in which he sometimes conducted himself. 

At one time, becoming dissatisfied with the way in 
which the captain divided the scant provisions, he led 
his mess off in the night. It was a good thing for the 
starving men, for they found plenty of fat turkeys and 
some bee trees full of honey. The party rejoined the 
army with a fine buck, and just at the same time some 
men from the settlements arrived with a supply of 
corn. 

Crockett was one of the men who went home in spite 
of Jackson's order to stay in the field. The volunteers 
had served one month longer than the time for which 
they had enlisted. Their clothing was in tatters and 
their horses almost worn out. 

But Crockett was also one of the few who went back 
to the war. After visiting his family he supplied him- 



28 DAVID CROCKETT. 

self with new clothes and a fresh horse and returned to 
the army to serve six months. 

In all he enlisted three times. The Indians were 
then so subdued 'that there were no more battles. 
Soldiering became very uneventful and uninteresting. 
Then Crockett was glad to go back to his cabin on the 
western frontier. 

VII. — A Leading Citizen. 
After so much roaming about, David Crockett was at 
last content to settle down to the quiet life of a farmer. 
For two years he worked away happily enough. Then 

a great sorrow came into his 
life. His wife died, and all 
the cheer and comfort that had 
made home sweet to this rest- 
less man left the little cabin 
and it seemed a very poor 
place. 

There was no one now to 
"'''iSfJ^ff.^/'?^^ object to his going to war; no 

POOR PLACE. ' -^ fc> & ) 

one to welcome him when he 
carr.e home. He missed the busy hum of the spinning- 
wheel. The room she had kept so tidy refused to look 
neat. The children were forlorn and dirty. They cried, 
and he could not comfort them. They quarreled, and 
he could not settle their disputes. He saw that he could 
not fill their mother's place. 




A LEADING CITIZEN. 29 

He felt helpless and homeless and began to think it 
would be best for him to marry again. This time he 
did not select a gay, dancing, rosy-cheeked girl, but 
a sensible, kindly woman, a widow with two children 
of her own. 

After his marriage, he wished to move again and 
start afresh. Having been pleased with the country he 
had passed through during the war, he organized a little 
party of friends and they started out to explore. When 
far from home in the wilderness he was taken ill with 
malarial fever. 

He did not lack for good care and kind, if clumsy, 
nursing. Those were days of true hospitality. The 
pioneer living alone in the forest had no neighbor on 
whom he could shift the responsibility of caring for the 
needy stranger. The sick man was received at the 
home of a backwoodsman and taken care of. He was 
ill for a long time. When he reached home at last even 
his wife was surprised to find that he was still alive. 

Soon after his recovery he moved to a famous 
hunting-ground in southwestern Tennessee that had 
been purchased from the Indians. At first there 
was no law or local government in the new settle- 
ment, and none was needed; for the few people who 
lived there were honest and industrious. But as the 
fame of the district grew, great numbers of settlers 
came. 

Some of these settlers were selfish and ready to take 



30 DAVID CROCKETT. 

advantage of the weak. Some were wicked men who 
had come west to escape punishment and find new vic- 
tims to cheat. With such characters in the settlement 
trouble began, and some sort of government was needed 
to protect the good from the bad. 

The settlers met and chose officers to take charge of 
affairs. They selected good men and left them free to 
do whatever they thought was right. Thus the officers 
had great power. David Crockett was one of them. 
When word was brought to him that a man had stolen, 
or had refused to pay a debt, or had injured another in 
any way, he sent his constable after the offender. He 
listened attentively to both sides of the story. If he 
found the accused guilty he had him punished. 

Sometimes the punishments were very severe and 
humiliating. Whipping was very common. One of 
the most frequent crimes was pig-stealing. The pigs 
were marked and turned loose in the woods. They 
were an easy and tempting prey for the hungry man. 

During the time David Crockett served as officer no 
one ever questioned the justice of his decisions. He 
knew nothing about law. He could scarcely write his 
name; but he had a great deal of shrewdness and com- 
mon sense, and he understood the men among whom he 
lived. 

Later, when the settlement was recognized by the 
state, Crockett was appointed "squire" by the legis- 
lature. The work of his office became more formal. 



A LEADING CITIZEN. 3I 

He had to keep a book and write out warrants for 
arrests. At first he had to ask the constable for help in 
this. But now that he saw a use for writing he tried 
hard to learn and soon was able to write his own war- 
rants and keep his own books. 

When David Crockett started to do anything he was 
pretty sure to "go ahead." That was true of him in 
his boyhood when he ran away from his employer to go 
home, and again when he ran away from school and 
home. When he was older and began to work he went 
steadily ahead and gave his father double service. 
Then, as hunter and marksman, he had won dis- 
tinction as the bravest and most skillful. In the 
wars, his neighbors had been satisfied with two months 
of service, but he had enlisted three times. As a 
pioneer he had moved again and again ; keeping always 
in the vanguard of civilization. 

It was still his disposition to make the most of his 
opportunities, and having gained some prominence 
among the settlers he became ambitious. He borrowed 
money and built a large grist mill, distillery, and 
powder factory. He was very popular among the 
backwoodsmen and was made colonel of a regiment 
of militia. He was ever afterwards called "Colonel" 
Crockett. 

His friends urged him to be a candidate to represent 
his district in the state legislature. He consented and 
gave his name as a candidate in February. In March 



32 



DAVID CROCKETT. 



he went to North Carolina with a drove of horses, and 
was gone three months. 

When he returned home he went to work to secure 
his election. He knew nothing about government. 
He did not even know the meaning of the word. But 




CROCKETT'S FIRST SPEKCH 

he knew that the men who did 
the voting understood as little about 
governmental affairs as he did. He 
"^ knew also that most of them were 

willing to elect a man whom they could trust to take 
care of their political interests. So he sought to 
be popular with the voters. His reputation as a 
hunter, his ability to tell laughable stories, and his 
timely *' treats" did more to win the good will of the 



A LEADING CITIZEN. 33 

voters than his rival's learned speeches. He was suc- 
cessful from the first. 

At that time people came from far and near to the 
political meetings and had a good time. The first one 
that Colonel Crockett took part in was held in Heck- 
man County. Both parties joined in a squirrel hunt 
that lasted two days. After the hunt, they were to have 
a great feast in the open air, and the party that got the 
smallest number of squirrels had to pay all of the 
expense. Crockett shot many squirrels in that hunt 
and his party brought in the largest number. 

The feast was to be followed by dancing, but as they 
lingered at the tables talking, some one called for a 
speech. Both candidates were present, but Crockett 
was called for first. This was new business for him. 
He had never paid any attention to public speeches and 
did not know how to begin. He felt ill at ease and 
made excuses. But all clamored for a speech, and his 
rival was especially eager, for he knew Crockett was an 
ignorant man, and he wished to see him fail. 

Perceiving that he could not escape, he mounted the 
stump of an old forest tree and began. He told the 
people bluntly that he had come to get their votes and 
that if they didn't watch out he would get them too. 
Then he could think of no more to say. After making 
two or three vain attempts to go on with his speech he 
gave it up, saying that he was like a man he had heard 
about who was beating on the head of an empty barrel 



34 



DAVID CROCKETT. 



by the road. A traveler passing by asked him what he 
was doing that for. He answered that there was some 
cider in the barrel a few days before, and he was trying 
to see if it was there yet. Crockett said that he was in 
the same fix. There had been a little bit of a speech in 
him a few minutes ago, but he couldn't get at it. At 
this the people all laughed. Then he told several funny 
stories. 

Seeing that he had made a good impression, he 
stopped. As he got down from the stump he remarked 
to those around him that he wasn't used to speaking, 
and his throat was so dry that he thought it was about 
time to take a drink. His friends gathered about him 
and he entertained them in true backwoods fashion, 
while his rival was left to make his speech to a slim 
audience. 

Before Crockett was called on to speak again he had 
the good fortune to hear several strong speeches on both 
sides. In that way he acquired some political ideas 
which he was able to mix with his funny stories in such 
a way as to make a very popular stump speech. When 
election day came there was good evidence of his suc- 
cess. He received twice as many votes as his com- 
petitor. 

He had a quick, active mind and, by listening to 
discussions and debates in the legislature, Crockett soon 
knew as much about public affairs as the other mem- 
bers. He was not at all timid, and spoke frequently. 



A BEAR HUNTER. 35 

His wit, his easy, familiar manners, his blunt, straight- 
forward ways, gained him many friends and admirers. 
He could argue as well with funny stories as most men 
could with sharp words. 

When the session closed and the members went to 
their homes in various parts of the state, they repeated 
his stories, and the name of " Davy Crockett" becanie 
known all over Tennessee. 



Vni. — A Bear Hunter. 

A heavy misfortune befell Colonel Crockett while he 
was in the legislature. His mills were washed away 
by a spring flood. He was obliged to sell all the prop- 
erty he had left to pay what he owed on the mills. 
Then he resolved to make another start in the world. 

With his little boy and a young man, he went farther 
west to look for a suitable location. He found a place 
that seemed to be what he wanted, on the Obion River 
not far from the Mississippi. The traveler was 
reminded by the yawning cracks in the earth, that a 
great earthquake had visited that section. There had 
also been a great storm or hurricane there not long 
before, and the fallen timber made a good retreat for 
bears. The region was almost uninhabited; but many 
Indians came there to hunt. It was wild enough to 
suit any hunter's fancy, and Crockett began to make 
preparations for the coming of his family. 



36 



DAVID CROCKETT. 



With the help of some passing boatmen who were 
taking a cargo of provisions up the river he hastily built 
a cabin. The men had to wait for the river to 
rise to take their boat up the shallow stream. They 
helped Crockett build his house and gave him some pro- 
visions, such as meal, salt, and sugar. 
In return for this, he went with 
them up the river and helped them 
unload their boat. 

He then went back to his new 
dwelling. He spent some time 
hunting deer and bears, clearing a 
garden, planting and tending his 
corn, and making rude furniture. 
When all was ready he returned for 
his wife and children. 

It seemed like old times to live 
in a little forest cabin, miles from any other white 
family, depending on the hunt for food and clothes. 
But since poverty made it necessary to live so humbly, 
David Crockett could take up the old life cheerfully. 
His patience and fortitude were as well displayed in the 
small things of life as in the great. 

That winter his supply of powder gave out. It was 
time to hunt. Then, too, Christmas was coming and 
the most glorious part of the Christmas celebration was 
the firing of Christmas guns. Clearly he must have 
some powder. 




HUNTING DEKR. 



A BEAR HUNTER. 37 

There was a keg full of powder that belonged to him 
at his brother-in-law's, who had settled about six miles 
from him. But the river was between them, and the 
country was flooded by the fall rains. In order to 
reach that keg of powder he would have to wade 
through water for a mile. There were four inches of 
snow on the ground, and the water was almost freezing 
cold. 

His wife begged him not to go. But it was of no use. 
He cut a stout stick to feel the way, so that he should 
not fall into a ravine or hole, and started. He waded 
through water almost up to his waist. Once in cross- 
ing a deep place on a floating log he fell into water neck 
deep. He was so cold that there was scarcely any feel- 
ing in his limbs. He tried to run when he got out of 
the water, but found that he could scarcely walk. Still 
lie struggled on through five miles of rough forest, and 
at last reached his journey's end. 

After hot drinks and a night's rest, he awoke 
refreshed and well. A thin coat of ice was forming 
over the water, and he waited two days hoping it would 
become strong enough to bear his weight. The ice was 
not so heavy as he had hoped, but he knew that his 
wife would worry about him and that his children were 
without meat, and so he shouldered his keg of powder 
and went ahead. 

In some places the ice was thick enough to support 
him, but he could never tell at what moment or in how 



;^S DAVID CROCKETT. 

deep water it would break. When lie fell through he 
had to take his tomahawk and cut a path for himself 
through the thin ice. 

He reached home safe, and you may be sure the 
Crockett family fired a merry salute to Christmas that 
year and feasted on juicy steaks of bear's meat and plump 
wild turkey. 

Bear hunting was Colonel Crockett's favorite sport. 
In one year he killed one hundred and five bears. The 
meat was considered a great delicacy, and bearskins 
were very useful to the hunter and brought a good price 
in the market. 

Then there was enough danger and excitement in 
hunting those great ferocious creatures to suit Crockett. 
He had several dogs, scarred like old soldiers from many 
a battle with the bears. They loved the sport as well 
as he did. He would tramp through the woods with 
Betsey (as he called his gun) on his shoulder, and Tiger, 
Rattler, and the rest of his dogs at his heels, until one of 
them got the scent of a bear. Then off it would go, fol- 
lowed by the others barking in full chorus. Crockett 
hurried after them, guided by their barking, and usually 
found them at the foot of the tree in which old bruin 
had taken refuge. 

He took careful aim, fired, and the great creature 
would come tumbling to the ground, sometimes dead — 
usually wounded. Then while the hunter was reload- 
ing his gun the nimble dogs would beset the enraged 



A BEAR HUNTER. 



39 



animal, biting it here and there but keeping out of the 
way of its sharp teeth and strong paws. 

If the bear was small the dogs would not give it a 




A BEAR HUNT. 



chance to climb a tree, but would attack and pull it 
down before their master came up. In that case he 



40 DAVID CROCKETT. 

would slip up quietly, put the muzzle of the gun against 
the bear and shoot, or draw his hunting knife and 
plunge it into his prize. 

He then went home, marking the trees with his toma- 
hawk so that he could find his way back with horses 
and men. The skin was dressed and the choice parts of 
the flesh were dried or salted down for food. 

The bear often led the dogs and men a hard chase 
through the thick cane and underbrush, and a faint- 
hearted hunter would call off his dogs in despair. 
Crockett rarely gave up. Occasionally he followed the 
game so far that he had to stay out in the woods alone 
all night. 

Once after a long chase he succeeded in killing a bear 
in the dark with his hunting knife after a hard tussle. 
Then he spent the rest of the night in climbing a tree 
and sliding down it to keep from freezing to death. 

In the winter time the bears go into winter quarters. 
They usually choose some place very hard to reach, 
like a hole in a dense canebrake or a hollow tree. 
Then the dogs worry them out of their snug quarters to 
sorne place where the men can shoot and handle them 
conveniently. 

Colonel Crockett did not spend all his time hunting 
bears in the cane. He was engaged in numerous enter- 
prises to increase his wealth; but none of them was suc- 
cessful. Once he tried to make some money by taking 
two boat loads of staves down the Mississippi to market. 



A CONGRESSMAN. 4I 

But his men were unacquainted with the river. They 
could not manage the big boats. They had an accident, 
and Crockett lost his boats and his staves. 



IX. — A Congressman. 

David Crockett had gone into the wilderness to get a 
new start. He was not the man to lie around and wait 
for a job to turn up. He was poor and must earn a 
living. As he was a good hunter he found a hunting 
ground and went to work. He did it simply and natur- 
ally, without any idea of attracting attention by it. 

But this move made him more prominent than ever. 
People remembered the odd man who could tell such 
sound truths in such laughable stories and usually had 
his way and gained his point with a joke. When they 
asked what had become of him they were told that he 
was "hunting bears out in the cane." Then followed 
thrilling stories of his narrow escapes and the great 
bears he had taken. When he went to market to sell 
his skins people crowded around to see them and to 
hear his stories. 

It was no wonder that his friends wanted to send him 
a second time to the legislature. The opposing candi- 
date was a man of some wealth and culture known as 
Dr. Butler. He lived in a frame house, and in his best 
room had a carpet which covered the middle part of the 
floor. 



42 



DAVID CROCKETT. 



The pioneers of that region had never seen a carpet 
and were ignorant of its use. One day the doctor in- 
vited some of them, whose votes he hoped to get, to 
come in for a friendly talk. They accepted his invita- 
tion, but could hardly be persuaded to set their feet on 
the wonderful carpet. They soon went away in no 
pleasant humor. 

''That man Butler," they said, "called us into his 
house and spread down one of his finest bed quilts for us 
to walk on. He only wanted to make a show. Do you 
think we'll vote for him? Not much ! Davy Crockett's 
the man for us. He ain't a bit proud. He lives in a 
log cabin without any glass for his windows, and with- 
out any floor but the dry ground. He's the best hnn- 
ter in the world, and a first-rate man all round. We'll 
vote for him.'^ 

And so the man of the people carried the day. At 
the election he had a majority of two hundred and forty- 
seven votes — and this was a great victory in that sparsely 
peopled district. 

His friends were now so proud of their ' ' bear- 
hiinter from the cane " that they wanted to send him 
to Washington to represent them in the national Con- 
gress. 

The first time he ran for that office he was defeated. 
He was bitterly disappointed. But he did not lose con- 
fidence in himself or in his friends. He said the elec- 
tion had been conducted unfairly. When the time for 



A CONGRESSMAN. 



43 



the next Congressional election came around he tried 
again. 

Crockett had two opponents, Colonel Alexander and 
General Arnold. Each was more afraid of the other 
than of Crockett. On one occasion all three had to 
make speeches. Crockett spoke first and made a short, 
witty speech. Colonel Alexander then made a long 
political speech. When Arnold spoke he made no ref- 
erence to Crockett's speech, but discussed all the points 
made by Alexander. While he was speaking a flock of 
guinea-fowls came near and made such a noise that he 
stopped and asked that they be driven away. When he 
had finished, Crockett went up to him and said in a loud 
voice: "Well, Colonel, I see you understand the lan- 
guage of fowls. You did not have the politeness to 
name me in your speech, and when my little friends, the 
guinea fowls, came up and began to holler ' Crockett, 
Crockett, Crockett !' you were ungenerous enough to 
drive them away." 

This amused the spectators very much, and they 
went away laughing and talking about Crockett's 
cleverness, and all forgot the long speeches of the other 
candidates. 

On election -day Crockett was chosen by a large 
majority to represent one hundred thousand people in 
our national Congress. 

His fame had gone before him to the capital and he 
found himself the center of observation. He had too 



44 DAVID CROCKETT. 

much self-respect to feel uncomfortable or shy in his new 
surroundings. He was himself under all circumstances, 
and did not affect the manners of others. He saw 
that he differed from the men about him in many ways; 
but what of that? Their manners suited their lives and 
were the outgrowth of their habits; they were like the 
people they represented. His manners suited his life; 
they were the outgrowth of his habits; he was like the 
people he represented. He had nothing to be ashamed 
of. On the contrary, he was proud of himself. 

However, when the president of the United States 
invited him to dinner, the thought occurred to him that 
the table-manners of a huntsman, used to dining on a 
log in the forest, might not fit the presidential dining 
table. But he decided to watch the others and *' go 
ahead." 

Of course the newspapers made a great many jokes 
about the uncouth manners of the backwoodsman and 
held him up for ridicule. But most of the jokes were 
made in the spirit of fun and only served to whet the 
curiosity of the readers, and make them wish to know 
more of the "gentleman from the cane," as he was 
called. 

At the close of his first term Crockett was re-elected. 
This time he gave the newspapers more to talk about 
than his bad manners. He had been sent to Congress 
by a people who regarded Andrew Jackson as their 
hero. Crockett had served under Jackson in the Indian 



A TRAVELER. 



45 



wars and had been a Jackson man. But when Jackson 
was elected president, Crockett did not think some of 
his measures right and voted against 
them. He knew this would displease 
most of the men who had sent him to 
Congress, but he said he would not be 
bound by any man or party to do 
what he thought was wrong. By this 
time he was well acquainted with pub- 
lic questions, and had strong convic- 
tions as to his duty. He was inde- 
pendent of parties and men in his views. 

He was a candidate for the next election, but his 
turning against Jackson had made him so unpopular 
that, much to his disappointment, he was defeated. 




ANDREW JACKSON 



X. — A Traveler. 

After two years more of hunting in the backwoods, 
David Crockett was again returned to Congress by his 
district. It was during this term that he made his 
famous tour of the northeastern states. 

He started in the spring of 1834 and visited most of 
the large cities. On this trip he saw a train of railroad 
cars for the first time. This is his description of it: 

^'This was a clean new sight to me ; about a dozen 
big stages hung to one machine, and to start up hill. 



46 DAVID CROCKETT. 

After a good deal of fuss we all got seated and moved 
slowly off; the engine wheezing as if she had the tiz- 
zick. By and by she began to take short breaths, and 
away we went with a blue streak after us. The whole 
distance is seventeen miles and it was run in fifty-five 
minutes." 

Crockett received a warm welcome at Philadelphia. 
Thousands of people were at the wharf to meet him. 
When he stepped from the boat he was greeted with 
cheers and the waving of hats. Men came forward 
with outstretched hands, saying: "Give me the hand 
of an honest man." 

Colonel Crockett was not a modest man, but he was 
surprised and a little overcome by this reception. They 
put him into a fine carriage drawn by four horses, and 
drove him to a hotel. There was another crowd there, 
calling for a speech. He was so surprised that he could 
not make a long speech then, but after a few pleasant 
remarks he promised the people to talk to them on the 
following day if they cared to hear him. 

He received calls from- many distinguished citizens. 
On the next day, when he stood before a vast crowd 
and looked into the expectant, friendly faces, he felt 
abashed for a moment. But some one shouted: "Go 
ahead, Davy Crockett." The sound of his old watch- 
word gave him courage and he went ahead and made a 
speech that did him credit. 

Some of the citizens presented him with a watch chain 



A TRAVELER. 47 

and seal. On the seal were engraved two race horses at 
full speed. Above them were the words "Go ahead." 
The young Whigs of Philadelphia gave him a fine 
rifle. 

He was received with great kindness in New York 
and Boston, where he was invited to banquets made in 
his honor, and taken around to see the sights of those 
great cities. At each of the places he made short 
speeches, greatly to the entertainment of his hearers. 
Harvard University had recently conferred the degree 
of lyL. D. upon President Jackson ; and when Crockett 
was in Boston, he was invited to pay a visit to that 
famous seat of learning. 

"There were some gentlemen," he says, "who invited 
me to go to Cambridge, where the big college or univer- 
sity is, where they keep ready-made titles or nicknames 
to give to people. I would not go, for I did not know 
but they might stick an LL.D. on me before they 
let me go. . . . Knowing that I had never taken any 
degree, and did not own to any — except a small degree 
of good sense not to pass for what I was not — I would 
not go it. There had been one doctor made from Ten- 
nessee already, and I had no wish to put on the cap and 
bells. I told them that I would not go to this branding 
school ; I did not want to be tarred with the same stick ; 
one dignitary was enough from Tennessee." 

Crockett was astonished at the comfort and elegance 
of the homes of the eastern people, especially in New 



48 DAVID CROCKETT. 

England where the land was so poor. For he 
was used to measuring people's wealth by the rich- 
ness of their land. The extensive shipping business 
of the coast cities was new to him and filled him with 
wonder. 

His eyes were open to all that was strange or new. 
He noticed the New York fire department, which was a 
great improvement on the bucket system to which he 
was accustomed. On visiting the blind asylum he was 
astonished to find that the blind were taught to read. 
Even the distribution of work seemed strange. It 
looked very queer to him to see New England women 
working in the factories and New England men milk- 
ing cows. 

Crockett visited several other cities. He found friends 
wherever he went, and he always left more than he 
found. He had many warm sympathizers and admirers 
in the northeast because of the stand he had taken 
against President Jackson. 

Some people were curious to see him because they 
had heard so much about him. He did not disappoint 
the curious. He could shoot as wonderfully as rumor 
h?.d reported. His stories were as ludicrous and his 
grammar was as bad as any one had imagined. But at 
the same time his sense and sincerity won the good will 
and respect of those who laughed. 

He went back to Washington pleased with the East 
and the eastern people, and well satisfied with himself. 



A DARING ADVENTURER. 49 

At the close of the session he returned to his Tennessee 
cabin to work for his re-election, proud of the honors he 
had received and sure of more to come. 



XI.-^A Daring Adventurer. 

David Crockett was greeted at all the large towns he 
passed through by crowds of people. They always 
wanted a speech and he was always ready to make one; 
for his head was full of ideas on public questions. He 
said some wise things. Men called him a great man 
and said he would be president some day. No doubt he 
thought that they were right. But in the meantime a 
seat in Congress was worth working for and much more 
certain. 

He made tours of his district, speaking to the people 
more earnestly than ever before. Though he knew 
that his enemies were working hard against him he felt 
sure of success. When the news came that he was 
defeated, he was almost crushed with disappointment. 
He was so deeply interested in politics, and so much 
better fitted for the position than ever before. It seemed 
cruel that, just at the time he felt most ready to help 
and be of real use, his services should be rejected. 

Hunting had lost its charm. He could not stay in 
the wilderness doing nothing. There was a war in 
Texas. The people were trying to throw off the gov- 



50 DAVID CROCKETT. 

ernment of Mexico. There was a field for action and 
glory. David Crockett resolved to go to Texas and 
help the people in their struggle for freedom. 

He arrayed himself in a new deerskin hunting suit 
and a fox-skin cap with the bushy tail hanging down 
behind. He was well armed with tomahawk, hunting 
knives, and his new rifle. His good wife in the dreary 
cabin bade farewell to her hero with tears. Her heart 
was full of regret for his past disappointment and full of 
fears for his future success. But he had not lost his 
happy faculty of turning his back on bad luck and 
going ahead. New sights soon made him forget the 
family parting, and even the bitterness of defeat wore 
off as he pressed forward, hoping for new and greater 
honors and victories. 

He stopped for two or three days at Little Rock, 
Arkansas, where he was treated with great cordiality. 
A feast was made in his honor and when he left the 
town a company of men rode with him fifty miles. He 
rode across the country to Fulton, on the Red River, 
where he took a steamboat for the village of Natch- 
itoches. 

On the boat he met a curious vagabond who was 
gambling in a small way and winning money from the 
passengers by a game that he played with a thimble and 
some peas. He played this game so constantly that 
Crockett gave him the name of Thimblerig. 

Any one else in Crockett's position would have 



A DARING ADVENTURER. 



51 



scorned this trifler. But he was pleased with the fel- 
low's wit and good nature. He learned his history of 
idleness and wrong-doing, and persuaded him to go 
with him to Texas and at least die better than he had 
lived. 

At Natchitoches he met a handsome young man with 
a free, graceful bearing and a clear, ringing voice. He 
said that he was a bee hunter and had been over the 
Texas prairies many times. He wanted to go to the 
war, and hearing that Crockett was going had come to 
join him. 

The three men, well mounted on prairie mustangs, 
left Natchitoches in good spirits. They told stories, or 
the bee hunter sang spirited songs, as they rode along. 
The country was new to Crockett, and full of interest. 
Canebrakes, loftier than those "the gentleman from the 
cane" was accustomed to, crossed their way. In one 
place they rode through an avenue of cane, wide enough 
for two horses. The tall, slender rods of cane, each as 
long and slim as a fishing pole, fell towards each other at 
the top, making an arched roof that completely shut out 
the sun for a quarter of a mile. Wolves, wild turkeys, 
and droves of wild horses roused the instinct of the 
hunter. Crockett longed to have a buffalo hunt, but 
the bee hunter told him he would surely get lost if he 
attempted it. 

One noon as the travelers were resting in the shade of 
one of the little clumps of trees that dotted the great 



52 



DAVID CROCKETT. 



prairies, David Crockett said he had made up his mind 
to have a buffalo hunt. The bee hunter said he thought 
they ought not to separate, and Thimblerig shook his 
head solemnly as he played with his thimbles and peas 
on the top of his old white hat. Suddenly the bee 
hunter sprang from the ground, where he had been 
lying gazing at the blue sky, jumped upon his mustang, 

and without a word 
started off, leaving his 
companions in wonder, 
fie had seen a bee, and 
forcrettinor his advice to 

o o 

Crockett, had started 
off in quest of its hive. 
While his deserted 
companions were talk- 
ing over his strange 
conduct they heard a 
low rumbling. The sound grew louder and the earth 
trembled. The two men seized their weapons and 
sprang to their horses. A herd of five hundred buffaloes 
came careering towards them with the speed of the 
wind and the sound of thunder. 

The leader of the herd was an immense fellow with 
long mane almost sweeping the ground, and stout, bony 
horns ready to bear down everything that came in his 




A BUFFALO BULL. 



way. 



"I never felt such a desire to have a crack at any- 



A DARING ADVENTURER. 



53 



thing in my life," says Crockett. "The big buffalo 
drew nigh to the place where I was standing. I raised 
my beautiful Betsey to my shoulder and blazed away. 
He roared, and suddenly stopped. Those that were 
near him did likewise. The commotion caused by the 
impetus of those in the rear was such that it was a 
miracle that some of them did not break their heads or 
necks. The leader stood for a few moments pawing the 
ground after he was shot, then darted off around the 
clump of trees and made for the uplands of the prairies. 
The whole herd followed, sweeping by like a tornado. 
And I do say I never witnessed a sight more beautiful 
to the eye of a hunter in all my life." 

Colonel Crockett now realized that they were escap- 
ing from him and he could not resist the temptation to 
follow. He reloaded his gun and started in full chase. 
He rode for two hours, but he could not keep pace with 
the fleet buffaloes. At length he lost sight of them. 
Then he gave up and began to think of his friend. 

In his attempts to go back by a short cut he lost his 
way entirely. The country was so fair and beautiful 
it was hard to realize that it was uninhabited. But 
Crockett looked in vain for signs of the hand of man. 
Seeing that he made no headway, he determined to find 
a stream and follow that. 

He soon came upon a herd of mustangs. They no- 
ticed his horse and began to circle around it. The circle 
of prancing horses grew ever smaller and smaller until 



54 



DAVID CROCKETT. 



Crockett found liimself in the midst of the herd. His 
pony seemed to like the situation well enough and 
frisked and played with its new friends. Anxious to 
escape, Crockett plied the spurs without mercy and his 
horse darted forward to the front of the herd. A wild 
race followed. Every member of the herd strove to 
overtake the stranger, but encouraged by voice and 
spur, Crockett's mustang kept in the lead for some time. 
"My little mustang was full of fire and mettle," says 
Crockett, "and as it was the first bit of genuine sport 
that he had had for some time, he appeared determined 
to make the most of it. He kept the lead for full half 
an hour, frequently neighing as if in triumph and deri- 
sion. I thought of John Gilpin's celebrated ride, but 
that was child's play to this. The proverb says: ' The 
race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the 
strong,' and so it proved in the present instance. My 
mustang was obliged to carry weight, while his com- 
petitors were as free as nature had made them. A 
beautiful bay that had kept close upon our heels the 
whole way now came side by side with my mustang, 
and we had it hip and thigh for about ten minutes in 
such style as would have delighted the heart of a true' 
lover of the turf I now felt an interest in the race 
myself, and determined to win it if it was at all in the 
nature of things. I plied the lash and spur, and the 
little beast took it quite kindly, and tossed his head, 
and neighed, as much as to say, ' Colonel, I know what 



A DARING ADVENTURER. 



55 



you're after — go ahead! ' — and lie did go ahead in beauti- 
ful style, I tell you." 

AtJast, however, the unburdened horses gained, and 
one after another galloped past. Crockett was not able 
to turn his horse from the race until they reached the 
brink of a river. Here the other mustangs leaped down 
the bank, plunged into the swift stream and galloped 
away on the other side. 

But Crockett's horse seemed too tired for the leap. 
It was utterly exhausted. He relieved it of its saddle 
and did what he could for its comfort. As evening was 
coming on he looked around for a safe place to spend 
the night. There was a large spreading tree near 
the river. He began to examine the tree to dis- 
cover its possibilities as a resting place. He w^as inter- 
rupted by an angry growl, and was startled to see, 
almost within reach of his arm, a huge cougar glaring 
at him. 

He stepped back hastily and shot at the beast. The 
ball struck the skull and bounded back, merely scratch- 
ing the skin. There w^as no time for reloading. The 
animal sprang at Crockett, but he stepped aside and it 
fell upon the ground. He gave it a blow with his rifle. 
The cougar turned upon him. He threw away his gun, 
drew his knife and stood ready to meet it Then came 
a desperate struggle. He tried to blind the creature, 
but only cut its nose. He tripped on a vine and fell. 
The beast was upon him. It caught his leg. The 



56 DAVID CROCKETT. 

hunter grasped its tail and plunged his knife into its 
side. He tried to push it over the bank. ]\Ian and 
beast rolled down together. Fortunately Crockett was 
uppermost. Quick as thought his knife was buried in 
the creature's heart and he was safe. 

He looked at the dead cougar in silent thanksgiving 
for a moment, and then returned to the tree. He made 
a bed in its topmost branches by spreading a mat of the 
moss, that hung from the branches, upon a network of 
twigs. He threw his horse-blanket over the moss and 
had a comfortable bed; not a safe one, perhaps, but that 
did not disturb him. He soon fell asleep, and did not 
wake till morning. 

In the morning his mustang had disappeared. The 
thought of being alone in that wild country, without 
friend or horse, was not pleasant. While eating his 
breakfast he heard the sound of hoofs, and looking up 
saw a party of fifty Comanche Indians mounted and 
armed coming directly towards him. They looked very 
fierce and warlike, but proved to be friendly. Crockett 
asked them how they knew he was there. They pointed 
to his fire in answer. They asked about the big cougar 
that had been wounded so many times. When they 
heard the adventure they said, "good hunter," invited 
Crockett to join their tribe, and gave him a horse. 
He told them he could not stay with them, but 
would be glad to travel in their company as far as the 
Colorado River. 



A DARING ADVENTURER. 57 

Before they had gone far, they saw a herd of mustangs. 
One of the Indians rode towards them swinging his 
lasso. All fled but one little fellow. It stood still and 
ducked its head between its legs. It was easily taken 
and was found to be Crockett\s horse. He was aston- 
ished, and wondered why it had allowed itself to be 
caught. The Indians explained that a mustang never 
forgets the shock of being thrown by a lasso and is 
so much afraid of one afterwards that it will never 
run from it. While on the march they saw many 
buffaloes and Crockett had the good fortune to shoot 
one. 

When they were nearing the river the' alert Indians 
noticed a thin blue line of smoke curling up against the 
sky from a clump of trees. The whole party dashed to 
the spot. Whom should they find but Thimblerig 
playing his foolish game ? 

"The chief shouted the war whoop," says Crockett, 
"and suddenly the warriors came rushing in from all 
quarters, preceded by the trumpeters yelling terrifically. 
Thimblerig sprang to his feet and was ready to sink 
into the earth when he beheld the ferocious-looking fel- 
lows that surrounded him. I stepped up, took him by 
the hand, and quieted his fears. I told the chief that 
he was a friend of mine, and I was very glad to have 
found him, for I was afraid that he had perished. I now 
thanked the chief for his kindness in guiding me over 
the prairies, and gave him a large bowie-knife, which 



58 DAVID CROCKETT. 

he said he would keep for the sake of the brave hunter. 
The whole squadron then wheeled off and I saw them 
no more." 

Thimblerig explained that soon after Crockett had left 
him the bee hunter had comeback with a load of honey, 
and thinking that Crockett was lost, they had started on 
to Texas without him. 

While they were talking the bee hunter arrived, 
bringing a fine turkey for supper. The three were glad 
to be together once more and went to work with a will 
to prepare a good supper. Thimblerig plucked the 
feathers from the turkey; Crockett made forked stakes, 
which he erected on either side of the fire, and sharpened 
a long stick. This was thrust through the bird and 
suspended on the forked stakes so that the turkey might 
be turned and browned evenly. The bee hunter brought 
fresh water and made coffee, and they had a merry 
feast. 



XII. — A Hero of the Alamo. 

These three men were shortly afterward joined by 
three others, who were going to the war. They were 
glad to have company, for they were getting so near the 
scene of war that they were in danger of meeting parties 
of Mexican scouts. 

They were all bound for the fortress of Alamo, just 
outside of the town of Bexar, on the San Antonio 



A HERO OF THE ALAMO. 59 

River. They kept on the lookout for the enemy, but 
did not encounter any until the last day of their journey. 
When within twenty miles of San Antonio they were 
attacked by fifteen armed Mexicans. They dismounted 
and stood back of their horses. From that position they 
returned the fire of their assailants with such effect that 
the party scattered and fled. They then went on their 
way without being further molested. 

They were received at the fortress with shouts of wel- 
come.. The bee hunter was known and admired by 
many of the garrison, and all had heard of Colonel 
Crockett. Thimblerig, too, though unknown, was 
warmly welcomed. 

The town of Bexar, which is now known as San 
Antonio, w^as at that time one of the most important 
places in Texas. It had about tw^elve hundred inhabit- 
ants, nearly all of whom were Mexicans or of Mexican 
descent. It was held by a small band of Texan rangers, 
most of these being adventurers from the United States. 
Through the influence of such adventurers the Texans 
had declared their independence of Mexican rule and 
had set up a government of their own. This had of 
course brought about a war; the IMexican army had 
invaded Texas; and the scattered people of that great 
territory were forced to fight for their liberties. 

David Crockett was well impressed with the "gallant 
young Colonel Travis," who was in command of the 
fortress, and thought that he and his little band of one 



6o 



DAVID CROCKETT. 



hundred and fifty soldiers would be a match for the en- 
tire ]\Iexican army. He was glad also to meet Colonel 
Bowie, of Louisiana, and hear his tales of adventure 
and see him handle his famous knife. 

On the twenty-third of February the Mexican army 
marched against San Antonio. Their president, the 
cruel Santa Anna, was at their head. The impossibility 
of holding the town against such a host was apparent. 
The soldiers withdrew to the Alamo, as the fortress was 
called, and the troops of Santa Anna marched into the 
town carrying a red flag, to show that no quarter would 
be given to those who resisted. 

The little band of patriots did not lose heart. They 

raised their new flag — 
a great white star on a 
striped field — over the 
fort. While the flag 
was going up, the bee 
hunter sang: "Up with 
your banner. Freedom" ; 
then the drums and 
trumpets sounded. Santa Anna sent a message to 
Colonel Travis demanding the unconditional surrender 
of the fort. He was answered with a cannon shot. So 
the siege of the fort was begun. That night Colonel 
Travis sent a messenger to Colonel Fanning asking 
aid. But, even if the colonel had received word in time, 
he would have been unable to send assistance to the 




THE ALAMO. 



A HERO OF THE ALAMO. 6l 

beleaguered fortress. The little orarrison must defend 
themselves as best they could, and with small hope of 
success. 

The Mexicans cannonaded the Alamo from various 
points. One morninj^ Crockett was awakened by a shot 
against the part of the fort in which he was sleeping. 
He dressed hurriedly and ran to the wall, gun in hand. 
He saw that, opposite the fort, a cannon had been 
charged and the gunner was stepping up with lighted 
match. 

Crockett took careful aim, fired, and the man 
fell. Another took his ])lace. Thimblerig, who was 
with Crockett, handed liini anotlier ritle. The second 
gunner met the same fate. Imvc men tried in turn to 
light that cannon. All fell before the deadly fire of 
Crockett. The others were seized with fear and ran off, 
leaving the loaded cannon. The sharpshooters of the 
fort kept watch, and any one venturing within gunshot 
of the fort had little chance of escaping. 

There were occasional skirmishes, as when the mes- 
senger sent out by Colonel Travis returned pursued by 
the enemy. The bee hunter saw and, calling to some 
of his friends to follow, rushed out to help him. 
The brave fellow succeeded in driving back the 
Mexicans, but he received his death wound in the 
fray. 

Day by day, the fortunes of the besieged grew darker 
and darker. There was no hope of aid. Food and 



62 DAVID CROCKETT. 

water failed them. The force of the enemy increased 
constantly, and the attack upon the Alamo became more 
and more determined. 

David Crockett kept a journal of the daily happen- 
ings in the fortress. On the last day of February he 
wrote: ''Last night our hunters brought in some corn 
and had a brush with a scout from the enemy beyond 
gunshot of the fort. They put the scout to flight and 
got in without injury. They bring accounts that the 
settlers are flying in all quarters in dismay, leaving their 
possessions to the mercy of the invader. Buildings have 
been burnt down, farms laid waste, and Santa Anna 
appears determined to verify his threat to convert this 
blooming paradise into a howling wilderness." 

On the sixth of March the entire army attacked the 
Alamo. The resistance was desperate. When the fort 
was taken only six of its defenders were living. Crock- 
ett was one of these. He was found in an angle of the 
building behind a breastwork of Mexicans whom he had 
slain. A frightful gash in his brow made him look grim 
and terrible. His broken musket was in one hand and a 
bloody knife in the other. Poor Thimblerig was found 
dead not far from him. It is said that in this assault 
upon the Alamo the Mexicans lost more than a thousand 
men. 

The six prisoners were taken before Santa Anna. 
Crockett strode along fearless and majestic. Santa Anna 
was displeased that the prisoners had been spared so long. 



A HERO OF THE ALAMO. 63 

He frowned, and said he had given other orders con- 
cerning them. The swords of his men gleamed and 
they rushed upon the unarmed prisoners. The daunt- 
less Crockett gave the spring of a tiger toward the dark 
leader, Santa Anna. But before he could reach him he 
had been cut down by a dozen swords. 

Crockett had had no thought of such an ending of 
his Texas expedition. But as the dangers had increased, 
he expressed no regret that he had come. He displayed 
the utmost devotion to the cause of the Texans. His 
last written words were: '* Liberty and independence 
forever!" At the time of his death he was not quite 
fifty years old. 

In studying the life of this remarkable man we 
must always keep in mind the fact that he had no 
opportunities when a boy to improve his mind. He 
grew up among ignorant people, and knew but very little 
about the refinements of civilized life. He was there- 
fore rough and imcouth in manners, and lacked the 
polish of the gentleman. He was naturally a man of 
strong character; and whenever he undertook to do a 
thing he devoted all his energies to it and never gave 
up until he succeeded. He was very vain of his own 
achievements, and for this we may pardon him when 
we remember how much he accomplished with so little 
capital. 

In 1834, less than two years before the tragic close of 
his career, Crockett had written and published a highly 



64 DAVID CROCKETT. 

entertaining history of his own life. It was full of 
grammatical blunders and of misspelled words, even 
after it had been revised and corrected by his more 
scholarly friends; but as the work of a man wholly 
without school education it was not discreditable. On 
the title page of the little volume was the motto whi<:h 
he had adopted as the guiding principle of his life. 
Although he may have often failed to observe this 
motto as wisely as could have been wished, it is well 
worth repeating and remembering. It is this: 

" I leave this rule for others when I'm dead; 
Be always sure you're right -THEN GO ahead! " 



' ''nim&i:immM. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 495 588 2 




